Espinosa’s Murciélago Gets A.J. Fernandez Rework

The Murciélago line from Espinosa Premium Cigars is the latest to invoke the help of A.J. Fernandez, as the company announced today that the blend is getting some modifications in advance of the IPCPR Convention & Trade Show next week.

“We were happy with our Murciélago but it was obvious that what the blend needed was aged tobacco that we don’t have,” said Hector Alfonso Sr., director of operations for Espinosa Premium Cigars. “AJ has been making blends for some classic lines and we thought it was a perfect opportunity to get Murciélago just right,” he added.

The Murciélago line uses a Mexican wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and fillers and is being made at Fernandez’s San Lotano factory in Ocotal, Nicaragua. The line will come in three sizes, with a repackaged look that the company calls a “smart and clean design to usher in a new era.”

• Murcielago Rabito (6 1/2 x 46) — $8.60 (Box of 20, $172)
• Murcielago Robusto (5 x 54 box-pressed) — $8.50 (Box of 20, $170)
• Murciélago Toro (6 x 52 box pressed) — $8.70 (Box of 20, $174)

It was just two years ago that the Murciélago line was reintroduced to the market; the line originally debuted in 2009 as part of United Tobacco/EO Brands’ portfolio, the company owned by Erik Espinosa and Eddie Ortega. Production was being handled by the García family, who retained the details about the blend.

When the relaunch was announced, Espinosa said that he worked with Amilcar Perez-Castro to reverse engineer the cigar and determine its components, as well as how to recreate the cigar’s original flavor. The relaunched cigar was being made at Espinosa’s La Zona factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.

Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, the G-League's Valley Suns, and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.